Start with a small export, not your whole collection
You can export vocabulary from Readlang for use in Anki, but a successful download is only the beginning. Keep the word, its meaning and the sentence that explains that meaning together. Then check the file separator, note type and duplicate settings before importing more material.
Readlang already offers flashcard practice. Anki makes sense when you want its note templates or your existing Anki routine, rather than another place to store the same unreviewed words. Our Readlang review covers the reading workflow; this guide focuses on the transfer. It does not promise automatic synchronization or preservation of a previous review schedule.
Check what the Readlang export actually contains
Readlang's feature page lists vocabulary export for Anki. Its export discussion describes words, translations and context sentences. Open the export controls in your own signed-in vocabulary view and inspect the available fields. Interface labels can change, so verify the resulting columns instead of relying on a remembered button position.
Save an untouched copy of the downloaded file. Work on a second copy with just a few entries, including an accented word, a phrase and a word whose meaning depends on context. Check whether context is present before removing or rearranging columns. A translation such as “bank” does not tell you whether the source meant a financial institution or a seat.
If you need only newer entries, inspect the current export options. The hosted discussion recommends exporting a Date Added field and filtering separately while recording your last export date. That is a manual workflow described in the discussion, not a verified promise of a current automatic “new words only” switch.
Map words, meanings and context to separate fields
Anki imports notes into a selected note type; its card templates decide what appears on the front and back. Choose or prepare a note type with the fields you need before mapping the file. Saving a context field does not make it visible on a card unless the relevant template displays it.
| Field | Check before import | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Word or phrase | Keep the exact target-language text. | A changed first field can affect duplicate matching. |
| Meaning | Match the intended sense in your definition language. | A familiar translation can still be wrong for this sentence. |
| Context | Retain enough of the original sentence to explain the use. | The word alone may hide the distinction you wanted to learn. |
| Source reference | Preserve a useful title or URL if available and wanted. | It helps you return to the passage; do not invent missing fields. |
| Date or tracking field | Keep its meaning and format consistent. | It can support your own repeat-export filter, not automatic sync. |
Use a tiny UTF-8 example to check the structure
Our two-row tab-separated example contains invented French study entries with English meanings. It is a structural practice file, not a Readlang account export or an Anki deck package. Its three columns are Word, Meaning and Context, without a header row that could accidentally become a study note.
The word banc means a seat in the example sentence, not a financial bank. The second entry keeps the accent in conséquence. Check that each row still has three fields after saving it. If everything lands in one column, inspect the separator. If accents turn into replacement characters, fix the encoding before importing the full file.
The Anki text-import manual requires UTF-8 and describes supported separators. Follow its quoting rules if an actual field contains a separator or a line break. Do not repair a complex export by blindly replacing every comma: some commas belong inside sentences.
Run a six-step import check
- Keep an untouched export and back up the Anki collection you intend to change.
- Choose a small sample and a clearly named test deck, then select the intended note type.
- Inspect the import preview. Confirm UTF-8, the separator and which column maps to each field.
- Choose the duplicate behavior deliberately. A test deck alone may not isolate matching against other notes.
- Import the sample, then inspect its notes and rendered cards. Check meaning, context, accents and card direction.
- Continue with a reviewed larger file only after the sample is right. Record the export date and settings so the next transfer is reproducible.
Use the sample to check your own import settings. Its structure does not guarantee that another export will use the same fields.
Understand duplicates before repeating the import
Anki's text-import documentation uses the first field to identify a note, subject to the selected matching scope. Matching can depend on note type alone or on note type and deck. The import screen also lets you choose how duplicates are handled. Read those settings before assuming a repeated file will create nothing, update everything, or stay inside a test deck.
If the same headword has two meanings you want to keep separately, plan the note identity before a large import. Do not merge the entries merely because their visible words match. Conversely, adding a new date to an identifying field can make an existing entry look different. A Date Added column used for filtering is not automatically an appropriate identity field.
A plain-text transfer also does not automatically carry audio, images, templates or a learning schedule. Anki documents media import separately. Do not describe a text file as a complete migration until you have checked the particular material and supported format.
Keep the reading routine after the transfer
Start with vocabulary you still want to review, not every word you have ever clicked. If a card feels ambiguous, return to the original passage and repair the meaning or context. Keep reading new material so that exported vocabulary stays connected to use.
For a different reading workflow, compare LingQ and Readlang or use our Readlang alternatives guide. Changing tools is a separate decision from getting one file into Anki correctly. Keep the original export until you have checked the finished notes and your next repeat-import plan.